Bolt assembly



B. J. CRAIG BOLT ASSEMBLY Aug. 18, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original FiledMay 3, 1944 INVENTOR.

B. J. CRAIG BOLT ASSEMBLY Aug. 18, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 mv mv Om vm Omwv v? Original Filed May 3, 1944 INVENTOR.

B. J. CRAIG BOLT ASSEMBLY Aug. 18, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original FiledMay 3, 1944 INVENTOR.

Aug." 18, 1953 CRAIG 2,649,323

BOLT ASSEMBLY Original Filed May 3, 1944 4-Sheets-Sheet 4 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Aug. 18, 1953 BOLT ASSEMBLY Burnle J. Craig, Los AngelesCounty, Calif.

Original application May 3, 1944, Serial No.

533,958, now Patent No. 2,450,372, dated September 28, 1948. Divided andthis application June 25, 1948, Serial No. 35,171

9 Claims. (01. 292-'181) l This invention relates to a bolt assembly.The general object of the invention is to provide a bolt assembly whichincludes a novel bolt casing and bolt member.

A more specific object of the invention is t provide a bolt assemblyincluding a bolt which has novel catch release members thereon.

A further object of the invention is top o a bolt assembly includingnovel means for holding the assembly in place.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel casing.

Another object of the invention is to p v de a novel bolt actuatingmember.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel bolt.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation showing a vehicle equipped withlatches embodying the features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the bolt support blank;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. completed support;

Fig. 4 is an isometric view showing thebolt assembly; 4

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in section and with parts brokenaway, showing the bolt;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan View of the bolt looking in the direction of thearrow'6-6, Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a section taken on line 1-1, Fig.5; Fig. 8 is a section takenon line 88, Fig. 5; Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 with the parts inanother position; 9

2 showing the Fig. 10 is an isometric view with parts broken-- awayshowing the manner in which the bolt parts are assembled.

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on line i |-l l Fig. 1, on an enlargedscale; I

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken on line l2 2,

Fig. 11; and r.

Fig. 13 is a view taken on line [3-43, Fig. 11. This application is adivision of application Serial No. 533,958, filed May 3, 1944, nowPatent No. 2,450,372, issued September 28, 1948. g

In the accompanying drawings the inventionis shown as embodied in anautomotive Vehicle door latch which is indicated generally at IU. Alatch is provided for each front door I l and each rear door l2 of afour-door sedan type automotive vehicle I3 although the invention isadapted for use with other types of Vehicles having more or less thanfour doors, The' oors are-mounted.

on hinges M for movement towards and from body pillars l 5. The latchesl 0 for the front and rear doors are preferably identical With eachftfliiler except for the fact that they are rights and e s. V

Each latch I0 includes a support or base plate 46 which may be made froma blank as shown 111 Fig. 2. The support includes a body portion I! fromwhich vertical side flanges I8 extend. These flanges l8 converge towardsone end of th body and decrease in height towardsthe converging end. Aselvage plate I9 is bent up from thebody portion I! and is provided witha slot 20 through which a bolt member (to be later described)reciprocates. The sides 2| of the slot 20 converge towards the body I1.The selvage plate includes apertures 22 through which fastening membersmay extend.

Opposite the selvage plate IS the body includes an inner end wall23which has a hole 24 therein. Between the flanges I8 and the end 23 Iprovide inner. flanges 25 which are arranged perpendicular to the baseplate I 6 and have their upper ends 26 bent inwardly in parallelrelation to the base to form wings. The body portion I1 is provided witha tongue 21 which is struck therefrom and which is bent slightlyinwardly When the parts are assembled as shown in Fig. 11. The tongue 21serves to hold the parts assembled and to limit the forward movement ofthe bolt as will be later described.

The support l6 receives a bolt 30 (Fig. 10) which includesside rails3l'and 32, a front end 33, a rear partition 34 and an intermediatepartition 35. The partitions 34 and 35 are provided with outwardlyopening slots 36 and 31 and the front 33 is provided with a short,inwardly extending sleeve 38 (see Figs. 6 and 11). The'rails 3| and 32are reduced in height at their inner ends as at 39 and 40.

The boltis of rectangular form and the front portion is bevelledslightly as at 4! to fit the bevelled edges 2| of the slot 20.

l The lower face of the bolt at one end is pro-. vided with an'innerclosure member 42 (Fig. 5) andan outer closure 43 (Fig. 4) which may beshorter than the member 42. The various parts of; the-bolt'may, besecured in place as by welding or thepbolt may be a die casting. Themember 42 is provided with a pair of slots 44 and 45 which extendrearwardly from the front end 33 of the withthe slot 44 previouslymentioned.

" An actuating arm or catch release member 4! 3 is pivoted as at 48 atone side of the bolt on the rail 3! and a second actuating arm or catchrelease member 49 is pivoted as at 50 to the other rail 32 of the bolt.The arm 41 extends rearwardly at 51 beyond the pivot 48 and thisrearwardly extending portion, when the bolt is assembled on the support[5, engages the support and limits upward movement of the outer end ofthe arm 41 from the position shown in Fig. 4.

The arm 41 includes an ear 52 whichfits in the slot 44. The arm 41 justabove the ear 52 is fiat as at 53 (Fig. 10) and this ,flat portionmerges into an inclined portion 54, the purpose of which will bepresently described: The arrangement is such that when the 'arm 4,! ispushed inwardly the ear 52 will project through the slot 44.

The arm 49 includes an ear 55 which projects through the slot 45. Thearm 49 includes a notch 56. The inner end of the notch 56 is de fined bya sloping wall 51.

In order to operate the arm 49 I provide an operating member 69 (seeFig. 10) which may be a rod and which includes a forward end portion 6!adapted to slidably fit in the sleeve 38. The member 68 includes acollar 62 held in place as by a pin 63 which engages a relatively heavyspring 64. This spring 64 engages the partition 35 and normally urgesthe collar 62 and the rod 50 rearwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4.In this position the forward end portion 6| of the rod 65 has been movedrearwardly in the sleeve 36.

Near the front end the member 68 includes an outwardly projecting ear orcrank 65 which fits in the slot 56 after the parts are. assembled. Whenthe rod 69 is turned the ear G engaging the lower wall of the slot 55moves the arm 49 downwardly causing the ear 55 thereon to proj'ectbeyond the slot 45 (see Fig. 9) and to perform a latch releasingoperation as will be hereinafter described.

To assemble the bolt the arms 4? and 45 are preferably first secured inposition and thereafter the rod 63 is moved to the position shown inFig. with the forward end of the spring 54 engaging the partition 35 andwith the tongue 65 ready to slide down the inclined portion 5! of theslot 56. The rod 65 is then moved for-- ward, compressing the spring 64,and as it does this the tongue 65 moves into the slot 56 and the forwardend SE of the rod entersv the sleeve 38 previously described. When thisis done the collar 62 on the rod 611 will have just passed beyond thepartition 34 whereupon the rod 50 will be lowered so that it fits withinthe slots 36 and 37 with the spring 64 urging the collar 52' rearwardlyand thereby urging the; rod" 5E1 rearwardly.

The collar 62' is so arranged that when it is urged rearwardly againstthe partition 3'4 the front end GI of the rod 60 will be spaced:slightly from the inner wall of the front: 33 as shown in Fig. 6. Theflat portion of the slot 56.- islonger than the width of the tongue 65.This. permits the tongue 65 to move forward slightly when the. bolt 30isheld against advancing by the tongue 2? and the rod 60 is pushedcausing the spring 64 to be compressed. The purpose of this action willbe presently described.

The bolt is assembled by inserting the rod 60 through the slot 2!! andthen moving the. rod. and bolt rearwardly until the rod passes throughthe hole 24 and theinner ends of the 31 .4 and 32 engage the end 23 ofthe support. In this position the notches 39 and 40 on the rails 3| and32 of the bolt will fit beneath the wings 26 on the support and at thesame time the front 33 of the bolt will be flush with the outer face ofthe selvage plate [9.

After the bolt is thus assembled the tongue 21 is pushed inwardlyslightly so that it is in the position shown in Fig. 11 where it engagesthe front face of the partition 35 when the bolt ismoved forwardly. Thusit will be seen that the parts merely have to be inserted in place andthe tongue 21 bent slightly to provide a complete bolt assembly. Thetongue 2? holds the parts assembled and also limits the forward movementof the bolt 30.

The bolt assembly, which is indicated generally at 10 and which is bestshown in Fig. 4, further includes a tubular member ti which is securedto the rod 50 as by a removable pin 12 to form an operatingmember. Theforward end 13 of the tubular member H is spaced from the closure 23 ofthe support it. A spring M has its forward end engaging the end 23 onthe support l6 and its rear end engages the adjacent end 13 of the tube1 i. This normally causes the tube H to be forced in a direction awayfrom the end 23. The tube in turn pulls .the rod 60 and the lattercauses the bolt 3% to be normally urged inwardly along its support 55 tothe position shown in Fig. 4. r

The bolt assembly 10 further includes an inside handle supporting plate''15 which includes a base 16 and an end flange TI. The portion Tl has ahole 18 therein through which thetubular member H extends. The base 15includes a threaded collar 19. The tubular member H has a sleeve thereinwhich is held in place by'a pin Bl. The sleeve includes a crank arm 82which is aligned with the collar id. The arm 82 is adapted to be engagedand rocked by means to be later described.

In the illustrations each door is provided with a slot83 (Figs. 12 and13) in its front panel 84. Each slot 83 is of a size to receive theselvage plate [9 on the associated bolt assembly.v On the inner face ofeach door-panel, 34 a pair of handle support plates 85 and 85 are: heldin place by spot welding as at 81. These plates 85 and 86 are spacedapart to provide a slot 88. The plates 'are notched at 89 to receive thebolt 30 and are cut away as at 5G to receive the flanges I8 on the base[1.

The plates 85 and 8B are provided with rails SI and 92 respectively (seeFig. 13) which overhang the adjacent parts of the front door panel toform slots 93.

In assembly the support is moved rearwardly until the selvage plate [9thereon engages the.

held against outer movement by the screws and against inner movementbyengagement with the plates 85 and 86 The bevelled converging flangesi8 of the support 16 are arranged beneath ears. 95 on flanges 9 6integral with plates 97 which are secured to the inner face of theinside panel 93 of the door as by welding at. 99'. The flanges 9.5convergei wardly the 95 incline downwardly'andt inwardly so that theflanges I8 on the bolt support are tightly wedged in place.

In moving the bolt assembly into place, the inner end of the tubularmember II which is closed and rounded as at I passes through a circularhole IOI in the inner end panel I02 of the door so that it will engagethe hinge pillar I03 as shown in Fig. 11 and Fig. 12. A pin I04 holdsthe plate 15 on the tube I I.

In operation, as the door is closed, the bolt 30 is advanced until thetongue 21 engages the partition 35. This engagement occurs before thebolt engages its strike. Thereafter, as the closing movement of the dooris completed, the spring 64 is compressed, thus preventing slidingmovement of the bolt transversely of the strike while the two areengaged. Thus undue wear is avoided. The spring 64 must be stronger thanthe spring 14 to effect this function.

The construction is such that as the door is opened the spring I4 pushesthe tubular member II and the rod I0 towards the hinged side of the doorthereby causing the collar 62 to retract the bolt so that the front face33 of the bolt is flush with the outer face of the selvage plate I9 andwith the outer face of the door. It takes this position when the door ispartly opened so that the bolt is not in a position Where it will bestruck by a person entering the vehicle, and, further, there will be nogreasy projecting member for the passenger to strike, thereby causinghis clothing to be soiled.

In order to shift the arm 4? and cause the ear 52 thereon to projectthrough the slot 44 and thus actuate a catch member, a handle assemblyis provided. This assembly is indicated generally at I (see Figs. 11 and13) and includes a body I05 shown as made from a single piece ofmaterial and including a grip portion I07.

The handle includes a bolt actuating member H9 having an end portion I20with a reduced tip I21. A pivoted push member I25 is con-- nected to theactuating member H9 by a pin I29.

When the door is closed the flat portion 53 on the catch release member4'1 is engaged by the tip I 2I on the actuating member H9 and is movedby the actuating member when the latter is operated by the push memberI25.- If the push member is pushed inward to catch release memberreleasing position prior to the closing of the door the tip I2I will runalong the inclined portion 54 as the door is closed. This will cause thecatch release member to be rocked to releasing position when the tip IZIreaches the end portion of the inclined portion 54. Thus inadvertentdoor closing with the push member pushed in will cause no breakage ofparts.

The handle is fully described in the applicant's co-pending applicationSerial No. 533,958, filed May 3, 1944, now Patent No. 2,450,372, issuedSeptember 28, 1948, and a further description thereof in the presentapplication is'deemed unnecessary.

When the handle push button member I25 is depressed the tip I2I entersthe slot 40 of the bolt and will engage the arm or catch release member4'1 to actuate the latter to release a latch device which may be of thetype which is fully described in applicants co-pending applicationSerial No. 533,958, filed May 3, 1944, now Patent No. 2,450,372, issuedSeptember 28, 1948.

In order to turn the rod 60 and cause the ear 65 to move the arm orcatch release member 49 so that the ear 55 projects through the slot 45to thus actuate a latch releasing member, as described in applica'ntsPatent No. 2,450,372, issued September 28, 1948, an inside actuator orlatch release member is provided and is indicated generally at I40 inFig. 11. The inside latch releasing member. I40 is fully de-' scribed inthe applicants aforesaid patent. As shown, the device I40 includes agrip portion I4I (Fig. 12) and a portion I42 which has a slot I43through which a finger tip actuated release member I44 protrudes. Themember I44 is shown as mounted on a tubular member I45 which isinternally threaded to receive a threaded sleeve I48.

The threaded sleeve I40 engages a U-shaped support I50. This support I50carries a pin I 5| which supports the finger tip actuated release memberI44. The sleeve I48 engages the threads of the collar I9 so that whenthe handle is rotated the threads will cause the handle to approach thepanel 98 of the door. An escutcheon plate I53 is arranged about themember I45. When the finger tip release member I44 is actuated it willrock the crank arm 82 to thus rotate the operating member II and therebyactuate the catch release member 49.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A latch assembly including a supporting base, a bolt member slidableon the base, the bolt member including a bolt head and a push mem-' herfor the bolt head, the push member being mounted for rotation andincluding a portion remote from the bolt head which is adapted to engageand be pushed by a door frame to cause the bolt head to advance,resilient means normally urging the bolt head to retracted position, acatch release arm pivotally mounted on the bolt head, and means wherebyrotation of the push member shifts the catch release arm.

2. In a latch assembly, a base plate including a body portion havingvertical flanges thereon, the flanges converging towards one end of thebase plate, the flanges decreasing in height towards the converging end,a pair of securing plates adapted to be mounted in opposed relation on avehicle door, each securing plate having a flange, the flanges eachhaving an ear, the last mentioned flanges converging inwardly and theears converging downwardly, the body portion flanges being adapted toengage beneath the con verging ears on the securing plates, and a boltmounted on the base plate.

3. In a latch assembly, a base plate, a bolt member movable on the baseplate, said bolt member including side members, a transverse memberadjacent the rear end of the bolt member, a second transverse memberspaced from the first transverse member, a push member for said bolt,said push member extending longitudinally of the bolt and intersectingsaid transverse members, spring means normally urging the push memberrearwardly, a collar fixed on the push member and disposed between saidtransverse members, a second spring means, the second spring means beingon the push member and having one end engaging the collar, the other endof the second spring means engaging the rear of the second transversemember, the second spring means urging the collar rearwardly towards thefirst transverse member, the second spring means being stronger than thefirst spring means.

4. In a bolt assembly, a casing adapted to be mounted :on a vehicledoor, a strike engaging bolt member .movably mounted upon the casing forr-movement to and from strike engaged position, a ;catch release memberassociated with the bolt member, an elongaged operating member,a:support plate adapted to be fixed upon a vehicle door at 'a locationremote from said casing, said support plate including a bearing portionrotatably supporting the operating member, said operating member beingadapted, when the operating member is rotated, to shift the catchrelease .member to releasing position, an inside handle member includinga portion engaging said support plate,and a finger tip operated pushmember carried :by said handle member for rotating said operating memberto shift the catch release member .to releasing position.

35. .In a bolt assembly, a casing adapted to be mounted on a vehicledoor, a strike engaging bolt member movably mounted upon the casingformovement to and from strike engaged position, a catch release memberassociated with the bolt :member, an elongated operating member, asupport'plate adapted .to be fixed upon a vehicle door at a locationremote from said casing, said support plate including a bearing portionrotatably supporting the operating member, said operating member beingadapted, when the operating member is rotated, to shift the catchrelease ;member to releasing position, and inside release deviceincluding an actuating memher for .rotatingsa id operating member toshift the :catch "release member to releasing position.

6.111 a bolt sub-assembly, a support plate adapted to be secured uponthe interior of a vehicle .door at a location remote from the free endof the door, an elongated bolt operating member, support means on thesupport plate for rotatably supporting one portion-of the operatingmember for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the operating member,said operating member including a crank portion disposed adjacent-to thesupport plate, .a finger tip operated member engaging the crank portionand operable to mock the crank portion, the operating member at alocation spaced axially along'the operating member from the supportplate having a portion thereonadapted :to :actuate a catch releasemember.

7. In a .bolt sub-assembly, a support plate adapted to be secured uponthe interior of a vehicle .door at a location remote from the free endof the door, an elongated bolt operating member, support means on thesupport plate for rotatably supporting one portion of the operatingmember ;for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the operatingmember,an actuatingmember carried by the support plate and engaging theoperating member to rock the latter, the operating member at .a locationspaced axially along the operating member from the support plate having'a crank portion thereon, said crank portion being adapted to actuate acatch release member.

8. In a bolt sub-assembly, a support plate adapted to be secured uponthe interior of a vehicle door at a location remote from the free end ofthe door, an elongated bolt operating member, support means-on thesupport plate for rotatably supporting one portion of the operatingmember for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the operating member,a handle member mounted on the support plate, a finger tip operated pushmember mounted on the handle member, the operating member including acrank portion engaged by the push member so that movement of the pushmember rocks the operating member, the operating member, at a locationspaced axially along the operating member from the support plate, havinga portion thereon which is adapted to actuate a catch release member.

-9. In a bolt sub-assembly, a support plate adapted 'to be secured uponthe interior of a vehicle door at a location remote from the free end ofthe door, an elongated bolt operating member, support means on thesupport plate for rotatably supporting one portion of the operatingmember for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the operating member,a finger tip operated push member carried by the support plate, theoperating member including a crank portion engaged by the push member sothat movement of the push member rocks the operating member, theoperating member, at a location spaced axially along the operatingmember from the support plate, having a portion thereon which is adaptedto actuate a catch release member.

BURNIE J. CRAIG.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,302,063 Malone Apr. 29, 1919 1,340,398 O'Brien May 18, 19201,758,263 Merz May 13, 1930 2,091,266 Burnett Aug. 31, 1937 2,261,674Davelaar Nov. 4, 1941 2,298,598 Sitter Oct. 13, 1942 2,321,724 Aldeen eta1 June 15, 194.3

